Victor Emmanuel II acted very quickly.
On the very day Carlo received his three million lire annuity, Victor Emmanuel II also brought him the carefully selected candidate for steward.
However, the final decision still lay with Carlo.
After all, a steward is a noble’s most trusted subordinate, and Carlo had 100% of the right to choose.
Borrowing a conference room in the royal palace, Carlo had a meeting with the subordinate recommended by Victor Emmanuel II.
Because Carlo was not very old, the talent recommended by Victor Emmanuel II was also quite young, looking to be in his early twenties.
But according to the information provided by Victor Emmanuel II, this guy named Loren was not simple at all.
First was his education.
Not only did he graduate from a proper, prestigious university, but he also spent several years studying abroad in Britain and France.
However, because he had been raised and sponsored by the royal family since childhood, his loyalty was guaranteed.
Furthermore, Loren himself was already managing a portion of the Italian royal family’s assets, and his abilities in finance and economics were commendable.
Simply put, Loren was a talent who had been tested in both knowledge and ability, and his loyalty was also unquestionable.
Carlo’s first impression of Loren was also good.
Born in a monarchic state, Loren had quite a favorable view of the monarchy.
Especially since everything he had came from the sponsorship of the Italian royal family, his loyalty to the entire royal family was beyond doubt.
“Loren?” Carlo spoke first.
“Yes, Your Highness.
I am Loren, it is an honor to serve you.” Loren nodded respectfully, adopting a very humble posture.
“Very good.” Carlo nodded in satisfaction, quite approving of Loren’s demeanor.
After all, if his own steward didn’t acknowledge the superior status of nobles, who else would?
“Were you working for my father before?” Carlo asked.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Loren nodded, answering with deep respect.
“Previously, I managed plantations in the Philippine region and also acquired several newspaper agencies in the Turin area.” Carlo was quite satisfied.
Although the plantations Loren managed were for crops, this management experience could be extended to future rubber plantations.
It goes without saying how profitable rubber plantations would become.
With this kind of experience, when laying out plans in the future, Carlo could easily become a giant in the rubber industry.
And the experience of acquiring newspapers earned Loren even more points.
In Carlo’s mind, the power of public opinion wielded by newspapers was incredibly important.
If a person or a country could control the power of public opinion, they could easily reverse black and white, calling right wrong and wrong right.
This would be absolutely crucial for stabilizing the monarchy in Italy or Spain, or at least for influencing the choices of the people, so that the monarchy wouldn’t exit the stage in Italy and Spain so early.
Whether now or in future generations, the masses always possessed a blind herd mentality.
Regardless of whether a system was good or bad, as long as enough people said it was bad, then it was bad.
If the power of public opinion was controlled well, it would become Carlo’s most important weapon in the future, second only to the army, and could play unexpected roles.
In Carlo’s future plans, whether he became the King of Spain or continued as an Italian noble, he intended to use his noble status to do some practical good deeds for the people.
And a public opinion force centered around newspapers was an important weapon for his propaganda.
After all, the purpose of doing good deeds was to let the people know that nobles were not all cruel rulers oppressing the masses, and the monarchy wasn’t entirely flawed.
“Tell me your thoughts on newspapers.” Although Carlo was already very satisfied, his evaluation of Loren was not completely over.
If Loren’s vision for future development aligned somewhat with Carlo’s, their cooperation would be even more perfect.
Hearing Carlo’s question, Loren did not rush to answer.
After pondering carefully for a moment, he spoke, “For now, newspapers are merely a way for the public to get information from the outside world.
But for the future, the role of newspapers will be extremely important; they could even influence the people who read them.
Although a single newspaper doesn’t have much impact, if we can control dozens or even hundreds of them, and then simultaneously publish a certain piece of news across those hundreds of papers, that news will instantly be believed by hundreds of thousands, or even millions of people, regardless of its truthfulness.
I believe that, looking at the potential and role of newspaper development, it is necessary for you to purchase a few newspapers as your public opinion weapons to exert influence on the masses.” Carlo nodded, completely agreeing with Loren’s words.
Although the development of newspapers had not yet formed a large-scale public opinion force, the role of such institutions was undeniable.
The fact that Loren could foresee this proved that his strategic vision was quite excellent.
With such a talent managing Carlo’s wealth, the probability of it growing was far greater than the probability of it shrinking.
“You have successfully moved me, Loren.” At the end of the conversation, Carlo smiled and nodded, saying to a nervous Loren, “From now on, you are my court steward.” A steward in a Western court was not like a eunuch in an Eastern court.
A steward not only had a very high degree of authority but also would not suffer discrimination from anyone.
Loren was not averse to becoming Carlo’s steward.
After all, under Victor Emmanuel II, he was merely a reasonably capable talent.
But if he swore loyalty to Carlo, Loren would become his confidant and key subordinate.
The level of importance between the two scenarios was completely incomparable.
Moreover, Carlo was the Duke of Chablais of Italy; becoming a duke’s steward was nothing to be ashamed of.
“Your Grace, because I have been an orphan since childhood, I only have my first name, Loren.
I do not have a surname of my own.
May I request that you bestow upon me a unique surname?
Loren is willing to devote his life to serving Your Grace.” At the end of the chat, Loren suddenly spoke up, requesting a surname from Carlo.
This kind of thing was not unprecedented.
If a commoner suddenly gained the trust and heavy reliance of a monarch, it was not unusual to grant them a surname that integrated them into the noble class.
Loren asking for a surname was actually a way of declaring his loyalty to Carlo.
Once he received a surname given by Carlo, Loren would be completely branded with Carlo’s mark.
If Loren were to betray Carlo in the future, his reputation among the European nobility would be ruined, and his future prospects would naturally be gone.
Carlo naturally understood this.
Looking at the resolute Loren, Carlo smiled and said, “Very well, Steward Loren.
I think the surname Loyalty is quite good.
Loren Loyalty will surely become a legend worth writing about in Italian history.” Loren nodded, accepting this surname with a look of deep submission.
The meaning of the name Carlo gave him was self-evident, and Loren hoped to express his loyalty in this way to gain Carlo’s trust and reliance, allowing him to showcase his abilities.
(END CHAPTER)